Climate Change Mitigation and Preparedness

Of the challenges the
Commonwealth will face in the near and long term, few have the potential to
have a greater impact on our way of life than climate change. Though
Massachusetts accounts for only a small amount of national and global
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), the Patrick Administration has lead by example
by both increasing Massachusetts renewable energy generation and simultaneously
reducing the amount of fossil fuel energy used.

Clean Energy Progress (2007-2013)

Executive
Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) In 2007, Massachusetts became the
first state in the nation to combine the environmental and energy agencies
under one Cabinet Secretary, demonstrating a holistic commitment to reducing
our dependence on fossil fuels and diversifying our energy sources.

Global Warming Solutions Act In
2008, through collaboration with the Legislature, Governor Patrick signed the
Global Warming Solutions Act into law, creating a framework for reducing
heat-trapping emissions to levels that scientists believe avoid the worst
effects of global warming by ambitiously requiring all sectors of the economy
to reach a target of a 25% reduction of GHG emissions by 2020 and an 80%
reduction by 2050. As of 2010, the Commonwealth has successfully reduced its
GHG emissions by 11%.

Green Jobs Act Also in 2008, Governor Patrick and
the Legislature enacted the Green Jobs Act, which created the Massachusetts
Clean Energy Center, tasked with accelerating the success of clean energy
technologies, companies and projects in the Commonwealth while creating
high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts.
These efforts have proved to be successful, as clean energy jobs are projected
to grow 48% from 2010 through 2014.

Renewable
Energy Infrastructure Investment
The Patrick Administration has fostered a thriving, innovative clean energy
economy in the Commonwealth. The state now has 425 megawatts of solar energy
generation capacity installed, four years ahead of the Governor’s goal of 2017.
The Commonwealth is also poised to be home to the nation’s first offshore wind
farm, Cape Wind. The Administration’s investment in wind energy infrastructure,
like the New Bedford Marine Terminal, has made Massachusetts a hub for this
emerging industry.

Accelerated
Energy Program This
aims to reduce energy consumption by 20-25% at state facilities, creating about
4,000 clean energy jobs while saving the Commonwealth about $43 M annually. The
program will save the environment an estimated 135,000 metric tons of
greenhouse gases annually, the equivalent of removing 26,000 vehicles from the
road per year.

Energy-Efficiency The Commonwealth has been ranked the
most energy-efficient state in the nation for three years in a row by the
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Despite these successes,
scientific evidence overwhelmingly points to the inability to prevent climate
impacts in our communities through mitigation alone. It has become increasingly
apparent that the impacts of climate change will affect the Commonwealth’s infrastructure,
environment, economy and livelihood over the next century. The Commonwealth
needs to begin preparing now to face a new reality. Key climate change
predictions in Massachusetts include:

More intense,
longer lasting and more damaging storms, causing debilitating impacts on our
infrastructure and environment, including widespread flooding from increased
precipitation;

Rising sea levels
potentially causing major distributions in our coastal communities, strain on
our emergency services and billions of dollars’ worth of damage to residential
and commercial property; and

Public health
concerns expanding due to exposure to high temperatures, poor air and water
quality, extreme weather events and an increased risk of food-borne and
vector-borne illnesses.

The Commonwealth has already
weathered a number of recent storms that point to a changing climate. While it
is difficult to link any individual event directly to climate change, we should
take lessons learned from recent severe storms across the state and apply best
practices as we begin to prepare for the increasing intensity of storms
predicted by scientists. In addition, the summer of 2012 saw a significant
increase in Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) that necessitated aerial
spraying, and in the summer of 2013, oyster beds had to be closed for the first
time in the history of Massachusetts, at significant cost to shellfishermen,
because of vibrio parahaemolyticus. Recovery from these disasters comes not
only at significant cost to the Commonwealth, but also slows our economic
growth, displaces families and businesses and changes the fabric of our communities.
In order to continue leading by example on climate change issues, functioning
as a hub of innovation, talent and resolve, we must adapt to our changing
climate in addition to continuing to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

Climate preparedness will require
initiatives across government agencies. In FY 2015, the Patrick Administration
will expand its climate change efforts through a $52 M cross-secretariat
investment in a comprehensive climate change preparedness plan using operating,
capital and trust resources.

Transportation Preparedness

Our transportation assets have
been built to withstand prior weather patterns, leaving them vulnerable to extreme
changes in climate. Additionally, transportation infrastructure is vital to
creating economic growth, job creation and support for communities. Impacts
that threaten these assets also threaten the Commonwealth’s ability to grow. To
address this issue, the Administration will conduct a statewide vulnerability
assessment for all state-owned transportation assets and adopt climate
adaptation plans to provide a blueprint for protecting our infrastructure from
harm.

Energy Resiliency

The ability to generate power
during natural disasters and under new environmental stress is essential to the
public safety, public health and economic vitality of the Commonwealth. The New
England Power Generators Association (NEPGA) represents 92% of all generating
capacity in the Commonwealth, with facilities located in 25 cities and towns.
The Administration’s EOEEA, in partnership with NEPGA, will distribute a survey
identifying resiliency efforts taken or planned to date at our generation
facilities and soliciting feedback on recommended steps to improve the
preparedness of generation facilities.

Additionally, the Department of
Energy Resources (DOER) will use its trust resources to launch a $40 M
energy resiliency initiative to protect citizens of the Commonwealth from
interruptions in energy services due to severe climate events exacerbated by
the effects of climate change. Funds will be largely distributed to cities and
towns to harden critical energy services for public works, community services,
fuel supplies, public health, food, communications and recovery resources as
well as support clean energy technology.

Lastly, the Department of Public Utilities
(DPU) has begun developing alternatives to traditional regulation by creating
the right regulatory environment to encourage investments in system hardening,
new communication systems and “self-healing” grid technologies, as well as
improved monitoring of service quality.

Protecting Our Communities

Due to the Commonwealth’s
particular vulnerability to rising sea levels, the Office of Coastal Zone
Management (CZM) will assess the vulnerability of our coastal communities. In
order to address these vulnerabilities, the Patrick Administration will invest
$10 M in capital funds toward our critical coastal infrastructure. Within this
investment, EOEEA will offer municipal grants to reduce or eliminate community
risk associated with coastal storms and sea level rise. Further, as natural
systems such as sand dunes and salt marshes often prove to be the best defense
against natural disasters, EOEEA will also implement a series of Green
Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience pilot projects, to reduce storm surges
and control flooding. In addition, the Patrick Administration is making efforts
to consider future climate patterns across various state planning processes,
including plans for future state building and infrastructure construction, and
in emergency management planning and procedures.

Improving Data

In order to most effectively plan
for climate change, we need to ensure that we are using the best available
data. The Commonwealth will officially appoint a state climatologist due to the
need to analyze complex climate data and science in order to assist state
agencies and municipalities in understanding climate change impacts. Recognizing
that the Office of Geographic Information (MassGIS) plays an important role in
understanding the impacts of climate change at the local level, EOEEA will
provide MassGIS with resources to expand its current data capabilities to
assist municipalities in adapting to climate change. Additionally, the Patrick
Administration will complete light and radar (LiDAR) mappings of the
Commonwealth in order to model riverine flooding and storm surge, as well as
assess the vulnerability of our built infrastructure and critical habitats.

Addressing Public Health Exposures

Unlike many states, Massachusetts
has local boards of health (LBOH) for each of its 351 cities and towns. In
order to provide LBOHs with a centralized source of information, the Department
of Public Health (DPH) will develop state-level resources to identify areas of
special concern, draft model strategies and enhance education and training
related to climate change public health issues.

With the small but continued rise
in water temperatures, the presence of vibrio bacteria in Massachusetts oysters
will likely increase. Without the proper resources to detect and monitor these
bacteria, the Commonwealth will face increased risk of food-borne illnesses and
more frequent and prolonged closures of oyster beds, which will impact the
Commonwealth’s commercial fishing industry. To address this issue, DPH and the
Department of Fish and Game will conduct a needs assessment of current capacity
of vibrio response and DPH will begin planning to anticipate other potential
threats to food safety and likely increases in food-borne illness due to
climate change. Additionally, DPH will collaborate with the Department of
Agricultural Resources to conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in
monitoring exposures to vector-borne diseases. Finally, as maintaining
infrastructure associated with potable water is critical to the public health
and safety of Massachusetts residents, the Department of Environmental
Protection will help communities identify and address vulnerable elements of
their critical water infrastructure.